34 Actually Great Free Things to Do in Miami

For some Miamians, everything is free. Drinks. Club admission. Fancy dinners. Champagne on boats. And for those lucky few, the 2 million Instagram followers they bought were definitely a wise and sound investment. For the rest of us, however, keeping ourselves entertained in the Magic City and still paying the bills can be a challenge. But our constant sunshine and creative residents have combined to offer us a lot of fun things to do that are completely free. Here are our picks for the best 34.

Little Haiti The music and culture filled event happens on the third Friday of each month at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, and you’ll... Hait(i) yourself for not going. Thank you. I'm here every third Wednesday.

Little Havana Sure, Little Havana is fun during the day, but at night it takes on a whole new vibe, especially on the last Friday of the month when the streets come alive with domino games, cigar rollers, cafecitos, mojitos, dancing, and Cuban art.

11. Wynwood Art Walk

Wynwood Second Saturdays resemble more of a party these days (it’s Miami, after all), but they're still a great way to see things you normally wouldn’t have access to.

Miami Beach The New World Symphony not only plays its concerts on the front wall of its sleek performance hall, but it also shows classic movies like The Princess Bride and Ghostbusters for anyone in the park to watch. For free. All you need is a blanket, some booze, snacks, and a friend.

All around MIami Stand-up comedy is still a thing, and plenty of places will let you come and watch it for free. The Yo Space and Gallery has its monthly Just the Tip Comedy Show the first Sunday of the month. 305 Brews has Miami Comedy Mondays every week. And Concrete Beach has a recurring Last Call Comedy Show at the brewery in Wynwood.

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20. Explore Miami's best hidden nature trail

Key Biscayne In the north end of Crandon Park you’ll find the Bear Cut Nature Preserve, a preserved wetland with paved and dirt trails that run along the coastline and into the marshes. Hike or bike the 3.5 miles of trails and learn about the ecology that makes up South Florida.

Coral Gables and Cutler Bay Old Cutler is 11 miles of paved trail along Matheson Hammock Park, Biscayne Bay, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Pinecrest Gardens, and Deering Estate. It connects with Biscayne and Commodore trails on either end if you want to extend your trip.

The MDC Museum of Art and Design downtown and the Institute of Contemporary Art in the Design District are always free. Or you can hit the Perez Art Museum the second Saturday and first Thursday of the month for free admission. Friday nights at the Wolfsonian are free from 6-9pm and include films, talks, and drinks specials.

Overtown Entrepreneurs, creative types, tech whiz kids, and other people looking to change the way Miami does business host a weekly gathering on Thursdays. Here, not only are ideas discussed, but free drinks are also poured to help loosen things up.

Little Havana Ball & Chain -- the historic jazz club that has been restored into one of the best bars in Miami -- hosts over 80 hours a week of free concerts in its back patio bandshell. Which is constructed to look like half a cut-open pineapple.

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Downtown Old house heads remember a time when free after-hours clubs were where the REAL Miami nightlife was. Heart Nightclub is trying to bring those days back with free admission after 5am, most of the time.

Miami Springs The “world's fastest game" is on for free to watch/heckle Thursday-Sunday, and you can wager on the games for as little as two dollars. Now, as for the rules of the game? We’re still trying to figure that out, too.

Everglades The Shark Valley bike trails are effectively South Florida’s only extended bike routes through nature, and riding them any time is a great way to experience the landscape that once was. But doing it under a full moon, lit only by the light from the sky, is a simultaneously terrifying and beautiful experience every Miamian must try.

Courtesy of Phillip Pessar

31. Check out Downtown's public art

Downtown Miami This one may require a little bit of research and some time, but there’s plenty of hidden and not-so-hidden public art all around Downtown, from Bayfront Park to the Dropped Bowl with Scattered Slices and Peels.

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32. Take in Miami's best views at South Pointe Park

Miami Beach Located on the southern tip of the island, South Pointe Park offers priceless views of cruise ships leaving the Port of Miami and the Atlantic Ocean. Plus, parts of the park are open until 2am.

Palmetto Bay ... which includes 30 acres of pineland and tropical hardwood hammocks, an aquarium, a live animal exhibit, a nature trail, and tons of bird-watching. Fun fact: the park is home to the Southern Cross Astronomical Society, which has a large telescope for stargazing and planet searching.

The Miami Bucket List: 29 Things to Do Before You Die

Miami's a hotspot for tourists and out-of-towners, so naturally, there are tons of things to do in the city. So many, in fact, that this list could have easily been 1,000 ideas long, but ain’t nobody got time for that. Thankfully, we narrowed it down (in no particular order) to 29 totally sweet and not-so-obvious things to do in the 305 before you bite it. Dale, Miami!

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Inside North Nashville’s Thriving Arts District

Thrillist and Chase Sapphire® are working together to create “Tastes Worth Traveling For,” a content series pointing savvy urban explorers to the best places to eat, drink, and have a good time. And after you've taken in all that North Nashville's art scene has to offer, check out Sapphire On Location for inspiration on where to explore next.

A walk down Buchanan Street, which cuts through the center of North Nashville, brings you past hot new pizza joint Slim & Husky’s, street bikers, luxury leather goods stores, a skateboard shop, a Southern-style vegan restaurant, and a buzzy art gallery. Cut north up to Clarksville Pike, and you’ll pass two huge murals and a car wash that serves Caribbean food.

It’s safe to say we’re not among the neon lights, honky tonks, and rooftop patios of Broadway anymore.

Loosely defined as the area above Jefferson Street bounded by the Cumberland River to the north and east, North Nashville represents both the city’s cultural past -- and a growing presence of new gallery owners, muralists, and other artists that demands attention. While its crisp new business-fronts are easily recognizable, the less obvious information, North Nashville’s history, is the area’s true gift to visitors of Music City.

And for that, it’s best to go to the source. While exploring the neighborhood’s galleries, murals, and design shops, ask a question about its olden days, and you’ll be sent to Ed’s Fish House (open since 1972). For queries about Buchanan Street's evolution, you may get directed to Bud’s Hardware & Key Shop (est. 1953). But until you can make it down (or up, or over) to North Nashville, here’s what else you should know to get the most out of a visit to this dynamic art scene.

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The Most Beautiful Places in Florida You Never Knew Existed

If you well up a little bit every time you hear "Seminole Wind," you’re definitely a Floridian. While our misrepresented, misunderstood state is famous for our world-class beaches, true Floridians known the state’s true beauty sits in the swamps, sinkholes, and cypress forests that make this the most unique ecosystem in America. We joined heads with lifelong Floridian Craig Pittman, author of Oh, Florida: How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country (and general expert on all things Florida) to devise one of the most useful lists to any Floridian with access to the internet. Together we came up with some of the most beautiful places in Florida you probably have never heard of.